For most, the subject of car scrapping is about as interesting as watching paint dry. They know it happens, they know the industry exists and they know they should probably be doing it themselves – sadly this doesn’t necessarily make it a more interesting subject on the whole.
However, there are certain facts and figures that few could deny are at least modestly interesting – that or perhaps a little surprising nonetheless. It’s always nice to learn a thing or two you didn’t know before and there’s no such thing as knowing too many factoids and snippets of semi-useful information.
So on the subject of car scrapping, did you know that…? 
80% of a Car’s Steel Can Be Made Into Brand New Steel
It’s common to think that when you take a load of old steel, you can only recycle a bit of it and the rest goes nowhere. Rubbish – when it comes to scrapping cars, pretty much any cars across the board, a full 80% of the steel can be recycled and processed into brand new steel. And as modern cars use less steel in their makeup than ever before, one old car equals one brand new car in full!
Recycled Steel is Better than Fresh Steel
It’s also common to assume that recycled steel is in some way inferior to fresh, first-run steel. Well it isn’t, in fact it’s actually better in some ways. In terms of strength, durability and versatility, it is identical – it is the same steel as any other and it is completely flawless in quality. As for why it’s better, to recycle steel takes massively less energy, less water and produces less carbon emissions than creating first-run steel. So when it comes to doing your bit, you’re actually doing a heck of a lot by sending a car off for recycling.
Most Car Bits and Pieces Can be Recycled
Thought it was just the metallic frame of a car that can be recycled? Far from it – there’s almost nothing across a car that cannot be recycled and put back into use. Glass is always prime for recycling, even the most worn of tyres can be recycled to make all manner of things like dog chews and even the acid from the car’s battery can be recycled! Speaking of which, the plastic from car batteries can also be recycled and made into things like plant pots!
It Pays to Recycle
Thanks to modern recycling efforts, the days of giving cars away for free just to get rid of them are over! These days, there isn’t a car rotting away on a drive anywhere in Britain that can’t earn the owner a tasty cash sum, as recyclers now pay cash for every car they take. And as every car (almost!) contains a ton of recyclable parts, everyone’s invited to join the party!
As mentioned before, recycling in all its forms is never going to be the most exciting subject on Earth, but it is undeniable in its importance.
